


An Irregular Time and Budding Feelings

by memobu (PurpleTigerGirl)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Crossdressing, First Dates, M/M, Pining, bogie time, but it's not too much of a focal point, kind of?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29464695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleTigerGirl/pseuds/memobu
Summary: The filming of Ibanyan and Jimenyan's Bogie Time punishment date commences! Hajime knows it's just for show, so what are all these strange feelings he's having? He's just glad he and Saegusa-senpai can be friends. Right?
Relationships: Saegusa Ibara/Shino Hajime
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i've been meaning to write enstars fic for a while, but i didn't expect my first one to be ibahaji. i (regrettably) didnt pay enough attention to Bogie Time and then they just came outta nowhere and stole my heart. this also means i havent read enough stories for both of them so pls excuse any ooc-ness ;o; i just wanted a cute fic about their date, since we never got to see it. many thanks to my lovely girlfriend for help with the title, being my beta reader, and giving me encouragement to post this in two halves because it's taking forever and she's excited about it!!  
> she also drew this lovely fanart:( https://twitter.com/mycxphilia/status/1357898663918526465?s=20 ) of ibahaji on their date, with Hajime in the outfit I imagined him in ;o; thank u so much, ily!!

Hajime had been a bit nervous arriving at the shooting location to see Ibanyan, er, _Saegusa-senpai,_ already dressed. His outfit was neat and chic, a green button up over a tight turtleneck tank. The only reason you’d think he was crossdressing was the high-waisted pants, the big earrings, and the hair extensions. The stylists fitted him with long hair extensions that matched his color perfectly, a cranberry red. Saegusa-senpai had an interview about Bogie Time just before they were supposed to start filming, and apparently he didn’t see the need in wearing anything else. That’s a bit surprising to Hajime, since initially Saegusa-senpai had wanted to draw the least amount of attention to them as possible. It was only after Hajime had expressed to Saegusa-senpai his feelings about being on a variety show- how to him, any kind of attention for his group, even if it’s being laughed at, is better than being forgotten- did Saegusa-senpai try so hard during the final challenge of the competition. And Saegusa-senpai had ultimately gotten them to last place, which is why they were about to take part in the punishment game. Of course, Hajime doesn’t care that they lost. He was just really surprised that Saegusa-senpai took his words to heart. He’s much more thoughtful than most people say.  
  
Hajime, alone in a small pop-up changing room, shucks off his casual clothes. He pulls his short sleeve shirt over his head, folding it neatly before placing it down. Ibanyan had mentioned a lot too, that Hajime was wearing a short sleeve shirt in the middle of October. That’s another reason Hajime thinks he can be thoughtful. If he were really mean, he wouldn’t say stuff like that, right? Thankfully, the production staff had given Hajime a soft beige turtleneck sweater, so he wouldn’t be cold at all now. And the corduroy jumper dress they paired with it is a really pretty lavender, which he likes. The only thing that is a bit out of Hajime’s comfort zone is the milky white pair of thigh-highs they gave him. Hajime does like pretty and cute things, but dressing up like this isn’t really something he does on his own, so he struggles pulling them up his legs. He stands up and looks in the mirror. Aren’t socks that high just going to fall down? He frowns and finishes off with the accessories they gave him: brown mary janes and a crossbody bag that looks like a rabbit. He has a soft wool beret, too, but the stylists wanted to do his hair before he puts it on. He looks at himself in the mirror one more time, smiles, and gives a nod. He’s going to be cute today so he can show Ibanyan on their date how he can be cute, too. _For Ibanyan and for Ra*bits, you can do it, Hajime!_

Hajime leaves the changing room, feeling the cool breeze as he steps out. It’s brisk but sunny out, almost perfect date weather. He is quickly ushered to hair and makeup by one of the staff members. Instead of giving him extensions like Saegusa-senpai, they put his hair into two low pigtails with bright pink beaded hair ties. He tries really hard not to blink or sneeze while a handful of colorful clips are arranged on his bangs. His beret is situated on his head, and when they hand him the mirror, he smiles, glad to see one of his clips is a rabbit, too! He bows his head to the stylists, thanking them for their work, and when it’s finally time to start shooting, he finds Ibanyan sitting with his legs crossed at the cafe table where they’re supposed to begin their date. 

"Good afternoon, Ibanyan!" Hajime says, greeting him with a bright smile and a wave. "Is something the matter?" He asks, tilting his head to the side a bit, resting his finger at the corner of his mouth. "You're grumbling…" 

Saegusa-senpai looks up at him, eyes narrowed. He doesn't have his glasses on, is he squinting because he can't see? Hajime frowns. No, the Bogie Time producers would've given him contacts, right? "You just missed it, Jimenyan." Hajime finds it funny how easily the cutesy nickname leaves Saegusa-senpai’s mouth after he was so resistant to it when Valkyrie had given them the challenge. “A group of…  _ young men  _ just asked for my number.” Saegusa-senpai says ‘young men’ through gritted teeth, clearly displeased. Hajime had gotten used to, in the week or so he had to room with Saegusa-senpai, the slight switches in tone he had depending on who he was with, where they were, or if there were cameras on. There are cameras around, but filming isn’t supposed to start for another five minutes. 

“Your number?” Hajime asks. “Maybe they just wanted to be friends with you, Ibanyan? Or they thought you were pretty!” Hajime smiles as he sits across from Saegusa-senpai. “That happens to me sometimes, even when I’m dressed normally…” Hajime frowns. “But if we’re together, I don’t think you’ll get bothered too much! And if you do, I know I don’t look it, but I’m pretty strong, so I can protect you!” 

Saegusa-senpai huffs. Hajime wonders if it was silly to offer, since Saegusa-senpai could probably take care of himself. But in no time, Saegusa-senpai manages to respond in his more cheery persona. “Would you really? How kind of you! I’ll be in your care, Jimenyan~!”  
  
Hajime smiles sheepishly and nods. It’s only a minute until the director signals that they’re going to be rolling. Hajime takes a deep breath and pats his hands on his lap. If he’s awkward, they’ll just edit it out, so he just has to act naturally. “You wanted me to show you how to be cute today, right, Ibanyan? I think… the stylists gave you more of a mature look today, but that’s also good! I’ll just make sure we do a lot of fun things on our date, okay?”

“Not so fast, Jimenyan.” Saegusa-senpai taps a piece of paper on the table in front of him. “The producers have provided us with this perfectly blocked out schedule, which we will be following exactly as written.” Saegusa-senpai pushes the schedule towards Hajime, who frowns as he reads it. 

“Meet at 1330, Café de la Maison. 1340, walk in the park. 1430, shopping at Harajuku. 1530, arcade games at Akihabara. 1700, dinner. 1900, end. You… sure do like schedules, don't you, Ibanyan?" Hajime kicks his feet absentmindedly under the table. Saegusa-senpai was the same during the first Bogie Time filming. He's a surprisingly late sleeper, and when Hajime tried to wake him up, he refused until his alarm went off at 9am. 

"Of course, Jimenyan! Especially when the producers are relying on us, here." He looks down at his watch. “It is precisely 1337, currently, so we should start heading towards the park.” Saegusa-senpai puts his legs down and pushes himself out of his chair.  
  
“Right!” Hajime nods, getting up out of his own chair and tailing Saegusa-senpai, the camera crew following suit. It’s a bit lonely already, walking behind Saegusa-senpai as he leads the way. Hajime speeds up for a second, until he’s beside the other boy. Without thinking much about it, Hajime clings onto Ibanyan’s arm. “Hold on, Ibanyan, you walk so fast,” He laughs, looking up at him. “Let’s stick together like this, okay?” He asks. For a moment, he nearly sees Saegusa-senpai’s eye twitch, like he’s trying desperately not to twist his face up on camera. “It’s more like a date like this, isn’t it, Ibanyan?” The taller boy’s arm is tense in Hajime’s hands, and Saegusa-senpai gives him a tight smile.  
  
“Of course, Jimenyan~ How else are we to go on a walk in the park?” 

Hajime nods, “That’s right! And aren’t we almost there, now?” Hajime leans into Saegusa-senpai’s side as he points his free hand towards the park entrance, a large wooden arch with the characters ‘Megumi Garden Park’ across it.  
  
“Ah, yes.” Saegusa-senpai clears his throat. “Megumi Garden Park is renowned for its splendid flower gardens. However, since it is October, the flowers are not in bloom. It appears what we are here for is the park’s famous ‘Eternity Fountain’ located in the middle of the park. It’s said if a couple makes a wish together on a 500 yen coin and tosses it into the fountain, it will come true.” 

“Really?” Hajime ponders. You could do a fair amount with 500 yen. “So we have to get to the middle of the park?”

“Yes, so I say we make our way there immediately, don’t you?” Saegusa-senpai directs this mostly to the camera. They’ve had no signals to stop filming, so it seems Saegusa-senpai’s explanation of the park had the crew’s approval. Hajime nods and finds himself pulled forward as Saegusa-senpai steps into the park. He glances around as they walk, a crisp breeze shaking the red and yellow leaves on the trees. The heat of Ibanyan’s arm against his chest helps keep him warm, though. 

“You know, Ibanyan, I wish we could’ve come here when the flowers were out. I bet they’d be so pretty.” Hajime hums.  
  
“Well, of course all things that live must die, even if they are beautiful. It’s the most beautiful things that wither the fastest, don’t you think?” Saegusa says this with the most cheerful smile on his face. 

“I… I guess you’re right,” Hajime says. “But that’s what makes them even more special, isn’t it? We have to wait a whole year to see them again…”  
  
“How insightful, Jimenyan! Of course you’d have a much more positive outlook compared to someone like me, only ever looking at the downside of things.”

Saegusa-senpai walks with him, having slowed a bit to match Hajime’s pace. There are not many other people at the park, since they are filming midday on a Thursday. There appear to be a few fans who caught wind of the filming, following closely but not interacting. Hajime smiles brightly and gives them a little wave, tapping Saegusa-senpai on the shoulder and pointing them out to him. Saegusa-senpai’s shoulders, which had relaxed a bit, suddenly tense up again, and he salutes the fans kindly, with a smile on his face. The fans bow excitedly, phones held up to snap pictures, but they are quickly dispersed by staff, and Hajime squeezes Ibanyan’s arm gently. The other boy’s shoulders seem to relax again. 

Although it’s a bit off-season, Hajime notices they are approaching a colorfully decorated crepe stand. They begin to pass by it, but Hajime can’t pull his eyes away. He knows he shouldn’t be having so many sweets, so he usually saves them for tea club meetings. But… Hajime stops in his tracks, holding steadfastly to Saegusa-senpai. Saegusa-senpai looks back, raising an eyebrow before he notices the stand. 

“We should get one, Ibanyan!” Saegusa-senpai huffs out a sigh. Hajime looks over at the camera. “Can’t we?” One of the producers, at a normal volume, replies saying Jimenyan can get one if Ibanyan does fanservice for ten seconds. At that, Hajime deflates a bit. “Oh, I guess I don’t need one, then. Let’s go, Ibanyan…” Hajime starts to move, but this time it’s Saegusa-senpai who’s still. 

“We are a team, aren’t we, Jimenyan?” Saegusa-senpai says, expression a bit dark as he turns towards the camera. “At least until this filming is over. You’re teaching me to be cute, aren’t you? This is a good opportunity.” Saegusa-senpai says that, but Hajime swears he looks like he’s going to be sick. 

“Are you sure, Ibanyan? You don’t have to.” Hajime looks concernedly between Saegusa-senpai and the crepe stand.  
  
“Figure out what kind you want before I change my mind, Jimenyan.” Saegusa-senpai says through gritted teeth, his smile never breaking.  
  
Hajime nods quickly, “Okay!” Hajime turns back to the producers. “Can Ibanyan choose what he’s doing?” The staff shake their heads as they bring out a little jar of popsicle sticks. The jar is held out to Hajime. “Oh, I have to choose for him?” He looks over at Ibanyan again, who is smiling still, but his eyes look a little dead. “Please forgive me, Ibanyan! Whatever it is…” Hajime turns back to the jar, hesitantly sticking his hand in it. He pulls a stick out and reads it aloud. “Ibanyan has to… make a heart at the camera and wink.” Hajime sighs in relief. “That’s not too bad. Ready, Ibanyan?” Hajime turns to him, and the cameraman readies himself in front of Saegusa-senpai. Hajime can only see from the side, but Saegusa-senpai seems to take a breath and, as cheerful as ever, he cups both his hands with his thumbs facing down to make a heart. He holds it up near his cheek, and winks with his left eye.  
  
“Anything for you, Jimenyan~!” Saegusa-senpai says as he holds the position for eight more seconds. 

Hajime feels happy hearing that, even if it’s just for a game. “Thank you, Ibanyan!” Saegusa-senpai relaxes after a few more seconds, and Hajime pulls him towards the crepe stand. “Oh, wait, can Ibanyan get one, too?” Hajime looks over for an answer, but what he gets is ‘not unless Jimenyan does fanservice, too’. “Oh, well, I-”  
  
Saegusa-senpai puts a hand up before Hajime can respond. “There’s no need, Jimenyan, I will just do without. A man as bitter as me has no need for sweets, anyway. Go ahead and order whichever you like.”  
  
Hajime frowns. Maybe Saegusa-senpai really just doesn’t like sweets, but Hajime feels bad being the only one eating. “If you’re sure…” He approaches the stall and asks for a matcha creme crepe with strawberries. He watches with bated breath as the stall owner spreads out the crepe batter, and after it cooks, dollops it full of matcha creme, and tops it all off with sliced strawberries and a bit of whipped cream. The owner hands it to him wrapped in pink paper, with a plastic spoon stuck in it. One of the staff members hands the owner payment. “Thank you very much!” Hajime says, excitedly bouncing back to Ibanyan and linking arms with him again. He looks down at his crepe, then back at Ibanyan. He offers it over to him. “Why don’t we share, Ibanyan?”  
  
Saegusa-senpai looks down at the crepe, brow beginning to furrow, like he’s about to scowl, but he looks at Hajime and his expression evens out. “I… suppose I could have a bite.” He sighs and gingerly takes the end of the spoon.

Hajime smiles softly, watching. He waits till Ibanyan has the spoon in his mouth. “Is it good?” He asks. Ibanyan seems to roll the bite of creme and strawberry in his mouth, contemplating.  
  
“I am not fond of sweets, typically. But your choice of matcha is bearable.” Saegusa-senpai nods.  
  
“That’s a compliment coming from Ibanyan!” Hajime says, grinning. Saegusa-senpai shakes his head, finishing off his bite and bringing his spoon to a nearby trash can. He then asks the crepe stall owner for a new one, returning to Hajime and placing the fresh spoon in the crepe. 

“Shall we continue our walk, then?” Saegusa-senpai asks, “I believe we are nearly to the fountain, Jimenyan!”

“Yes, let’s!” Hajime replies, holding his crepe in his left hand and trying to eat it with his right, which is still looped around Ibanyan’s arm. “Speaking of the fountain, though, Ibanyan… Do you know what you’re going to wish for?” He asks. The two of them continue strolling down the stone path. The sky is clear and blue when Hajime looks up from his crepe.  
  
“Hm, doesn’t the wish only work if we do it together, Jimenyan?” Saegusa-senpai chimes, “Supposedly.” He tacks the last word on the end, like ‘wishes’ aren’t something he really believes in. Hajime knows this is all for the show, but he can’t help but feel a bit sad.  
  
“Oh, that’s right. But how would I know what to wish for if I don’t ask you about it?” He tilts his head to the side slightly, barrettes in his bangs shifting. 

“Quite true, Jimenyan! Then I will let you know, I was simply going to wish for our mutual success as idols. That would be acceptable for us to do together, don't you think?"

Hajime feels oddly disappointed. He probably shouldn't tell Saegusa-senpai what he was going to wish for. Besides, this wish is good for everyone, unlike what he had thought of before. "Right, let's wish for that! For us, Eden, and Ra*bits to do well!" Hajime ends with that, staying quiet and eating his crepe until they finally reach the Eternity Fountain. By now, all that's left of his crepe is the paper, so he lets go of Saegusa-senpai for a second while he throws it out. He latches back onto him, and the two of them stop in front of it. Hajime looks over towards the staff. “They aren’t going to give us the coin to wish on unless we do something, are they?” He says this to himself, mostly, but the staff shake their heads, confirming his suspicion. The jar of popsicle sticks is passed over, and it’s Saegusa-senpai’s turn to reach in. Saegusa-senpai reads the challenge, eyebrows raising slightly before he clears his throat and reads it aloud, so everyone can hear. 

“Jimenyan and Ibanyan have to make eye contact for five seconds,” he says, looking over at Hajime as he returns the popsicle stick to the staff. 

Eye contact? Oh no, oh dear. It had taken Hajime awhile just to be able to make eye contact with a camera, and he can look at Tomoya and the rest of Ra*bits fine, usually. But Ibanyan? Oh dear, Hajime hasn’t ever tried before. He looks over at the camera. “Well, it’s for our wish, right? Ibanyan did it for me, so… I’ll do it.”

Saegusa-senpai hums. “This one is more of a mutual challenge, but I assure you it won’t be any trouble for me. Good luck, Jimenyan.”  
  
“I don’t know if that makes me feel any better,” Hajime says, smiling weakly. He positions himself across from Ibanyan, and the cameraman makes sure to get a profile shot. Hajime looks down at the ground, taking a breath. “Three, two, one-” He says, and he looks up. Hajime blinks at Ibanyan, although it’s just now that he realizes Ibanyan really isn’t that much taller than him- they’re nearly eye to eye without Hajime having to crane his neck at all. Hajime knows Ibanyan is looking at him, but in a split second, Hajime’s eyes wander to just about everywhere _but_ Ibanyan’s eyes. The hair extensions he was fitted with drape long past his shoulders, and the flashy earrings he’s wearing are so shiny. Does Ibanyan normally wear earrings? Hajime didn’t notice if he did. But maybe these are clip ons? Just casually walking with Ibanyan, Hajime almost forgot they were both dressed like girls. Ibanyan still just felt like Ibanyan. 

Oh shoot, Hajime hasn’t looked yet. “Um, let me try again, sorry.” Hajime can feel Ibanyan still just staring at him, expectantly. Hajime squeezes his eyes shut. “Okay. Three, two, one-” Hajime opens his eyes, focusing on finding Ibanyan’s pupils. Okay, okay. He’s looking at his eyes, now. Gosh, this is nerve-wracking. It feels weird still, seeing him without his glasses. But, Ibanyan’s eyes are kind of a pretty blue. Not quite like the sky, or the water in the fountain, but the kind of blue you might see deep in the ocean. It could be a dark, foreboding kind of blue, but Hajime finds it strangely comforting, like a bellflower or a delphinium. Hajime isn’t sure why he’s thinking about all this right now. Ibanyan said this would be easy for him, so he’s probably not having any weird thoughts like this. 

“Okay, that’s enough.” Ibanyan says, breaking his gaze and looking towards the camera. “Right?” 

The staff nod, handing Hajime the 500 yen coin. He takes it, holding it between his thumb and forefinger as he looks down at the ground again. Phew. He turns back to the fountain and Ibanyan turns, too. His arms are crossed, still seeming resistant to the wish, but the smile on his face makes it confusing as to how he really feels about this. Hajime guesses he’ll have to take the lead on it, then. 

“Okay, Ibanyan, um. I guess we both have to hold the coin, toss it in together, and then make our wish.” 

“Mhm~!” Ibanyan replies cheerfully, so Hajime holds the coin out to him so he can also hold on. Once both of their thumbs are firmly side by side on the coin, Hajime draws his arm back. Ibanyan does so simultaneously, and as their arms swing towards the pool, they both let go, the coin dropping with a ‘plop!’ into the water below. Hajime quickly presses his palms together, looking over at Ibanyan until the other boy does so as well. Then, Hajime closes his eyes and wishes with all his might.  _ I hope Ra*bits and Eden are successful!  _ He peeks one eye open, noticing that Ibanyan didn’t close his eyes at all. Is it weird that Hajime did? Hm. He very quickly closes his eye again before Ibanyan can notice. Even if it may not count, because Hajime knows they aren’t wishing this together, he can’t help but sneak in the first thought he had for a wish. It wouldn’t hurt, right?  _ I hope Ibanyan and I can become good friends! _

Hajime opens his eyes completely, sighing contentedly as he lets his hands drop to his sides. It appears Ibanyan has relaxed too, for the most part. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” He says, smiling at Ibanyan. 

“Surely not!” Ibanyan says, glancing down at his watch. “But it appears it is nearly time to head to Harajuku. Shall we make our way out, Jimenyan?” Hajime isn’t sure whether Ibanyan is just trying to change the subject, or if it’s really almost time to go, but he supposes there’s not much else they can do here. He nods, taking Ibanyan’s arm again. They walk out the far end of the park, where it appears a car is waiting for them. Hajime stops in his tracks, a bit surprised. 

“I thought we would have to take the train to Harajuku?” He says, watching the camera crew start to pack up their things and climb into a nearby van. 

Ibanyan shakes his head. “I made arrangements with the Bogie Time staff to at least allow my personal chauffeur to take us to and from each filming location. This will keep us on schedule and minimize public exposure of our current outfits.” 

“Oh, I see…” Hajime says as said chauffeur opens the back door for them, and Ibanyan starts to climb in, so Hajime follows. “That’s kind of you, Ibanyan!”  
  
“It’s the least I could do to maintain dear Jimenyan’s safety.” Ibanyan replies, his tone cheerful still, but his expression is a bit more neutral than on camera. 

"Ah, right…" Hajime isn't sure what to say. Despite his tone and his smile, Ibanyan doesn't seem to be having fun. Hajime fidgets with his dress, pulling the hem down his thighs. Saegusa-senpai played along with the wishing, even though Hajime feels like he didn’t like it. And he already must feel pretty uncomfortable in the outfit he was wearing, even if he looked really pretty. Hajime looks down at his knees. “Um, hey. Ibanyan?” He waits a minute, glancing over at the other before looking back at his knees. “Do you remember during the primary filming of Bogie Time, with everybody…” Saegusa-senpai looks over at him, acknowledging that he’s spoken, but not responding yet. Hajime takes this as an ok to continue. “It felt like you were really starting to have fun, and… even though I know you don’t like feeling like a laughing stock, by the end, you were really giving it your all. But today… even on camera, you seem to be… well, I wouldn’t say struggling- But you’re unhappy. It is because of me, I-ibanyan? I thought we had gotten a bit close, since the first filming, but I can’t help but continue to feel like I wear you down, being a member of Ra*bits.” He takes a breath. “I probably shouldn’t talk about my own group like that, but… since you’re a member of Eden and the Vice President of CosPro, I can’t help but feel like I still don’t deserve to be your partner. And if going on a date with me is this bad, then…” Hajime trails off. He didn’t mean to just spill this all out onto Ibanyan, but Hajime was trying to make this date fun, and it was really bugging him. 

Ibanyan shakes his head. “I believe you are misinterpreting, Jimenyan. Allow me to clear things up.” He crosses his arms. “It is precisely because I am with you that I am struggling more than usual to keep a good face. The problem is that I have become too comfortable around you, which has no connection to the fact that the status of your group is lesser than mine.”

“Well, you didn’t deny that, of course,” Hajime chuckles nervously. Although he’s surprised at the other’s admission that he’s  _ comfortable  _ with Hajime. It makes him feel weirdly proud.

The corners of Ibanyan’s mouth turn up slightly. “While the activities we have been instructed to partake in during our date are not particularly enjoyable to me, I will certainly try harder to participate in this punishment to the fullest until its end.” 

It’s just like Ibanyan to give a vague, placating answer. But Hajime supposes that’s better than nothing. “You had better~!” Hajime laughs. “Let’s try to have fun with what we’ve got, Ibanyan. We may not have won, but we’ll certainly make an entertaining epilogue episode! I hope!” 

Ibanyan chuckles softly himself. “I will ensure our Snake-san team will not be forgotten, Jimenyan, don’t fret.” 

Hajime gives a nod, and as he does, they pull up to the curb. The chauffeur parks the car and opens the door for the both of them. Hajime steps out after Ibanyan on the sidewalk. The camera crew appear to have arrived first, already set up. The two of them approach the cameras, preparing to film. The staff gives them the signal, and then Ibanyan starts.

He looks down at his watch. “1429, just on time. We have approximately an hour to browse.” He clears his throat, a finger sliding up the bridge of his nose before he realises there’s nothing there. Hajime giggles softly, even catching Ibanyan’s cheeks get pink. That’s a rare sight. Hajime kind of hopes the crew keeps that in the final cut. Without breaking a sweat, Ibanyan continues. “As fashion is not a particular interest of mine, I’ll allow you to take the lead once again, Jimenyan!” 

“Huh, me?” Hajime says. “It’s not like I’m really into it either, but…” Hajime glances up and down the street. The storefronts are all eye-catching, whether they’re bright and colorful, soft pastel, or dark and edgy. “There must be something for everyone here, Ibanyan! I’m sure of it!” 

“After you,” Ibanyan gestures forward and Hajime nods, heading down the sidewalk. Ibanyan walks side by side with him, but doesn’t hold onto him in any way. Hajime isn’t sure why that matters, so he picks up his step a little. There really does seem to be something for everyone- Hajime passes a more sporty shop that makes him think of Misturu, and another more preppy-style shop he thinks Tomoya and Nazuna Nii-chan would like. Hajime feels like he would like that, too, but he’s never dared to think about buying clothes in a place like this. He usually just picks up what fits at the department store. They’re not going to be here long anyway, so maybe he shouldn’t be so serious about it. He stops and looks around, initially trying to spot a shop that might appeal to Ibanyan, but his gaze stops at a light pink-painted storefront. Above the entrance in loopy golden lettering, it says, ‘Lili’s’. The dots on the ‘i’s are hearts. It’s almost agonizingly cute. There are twirling stars hanging above the heads of the mannequins in the store windows. From here, he can see a towering display of soft looking plushies made to look like a three-tier cake. Hajime has to admit he might not have gone into a shop like this on his own, but it would definitely make for an interesting place to shoot in. 

“Ibanyan, I wanna go  _ there,”  _ he says, smiling sweetly and pointing. “You said you wanted me to teach you how to be cute, right? This place would be perfect! Don’t you think?” Hajime still thinks Ibanyan doesn’t need so much guidance. Cute may not be his usual image, but that doesn’t mean he’s not cute. And if Hajime can help him embrace that, maybe he’ll be able to relax a little more. Although, according to their conversation in the car, apparently being relaxed was a problem. Hajime isn’t quite sure. But he knows that right now, he wants to see how soft those plushies are. 

“Yes, yes, of course! Shall we?” Ibanyan says, still letting Hajime go first. Once they reach the storefront, filming stops for a minute while the production crew asks the store owner if they would be allowed to shoot there. Hajime waits patiently outside the store with Ibanyan. When they’re given the OK, the crew takes a shot of them walking inside, and a few of the store’s interior. Hajime can’t help but be still in front of the big cake. There are soft and fluffy penguins, bears, bunnies… It would be so relaxing to just lie among them and take an afternoon nap. Of course, Hajime wouldn’t do that in the middle of a store, but it would be nice. He picks up one of the penguins and gives it a squeeze.

"Is that something you want, Jimenyan?" Ibanyan asks, and Hajime startles a bit, having not noticed the other boy come up behind him. "If the crew are in agreement, I'd like to cover the shopping expenses with my own money," Ibanyan flashes an intimidating smile at the camera, "So don't worry about having to do some inane task." 

“Oh, um, really?” Hajime looks over at the crew himself and they nod. He’s not sure if Ibanyan discussed that with them beforehand, or if his smile was just convincing enough on the spot. Just out of curiosity, Hajime turns the plushie around and checks the price tag. 4,000 yen?! 

“Thank you, Ibanyan. I think I’ll find something else, though.” He very gently sets the penguin back down on the bottom tier of the display. It might be hard to find something inexpensive in such a unique boutique.

Hajime moves farther into the store, glancing briefly at the clothes before finding himself in the back, playing with the spinning displays of jewelry and knick knacks. He looks over at Ibanyan, who, after his initial walk around the store, now appears to be just waiting with his arms crossed in a corner by the window. Hajime turns back to the display and frowns. Ibanyan said he was going to try to participate more. Maybe if Hajime can find something to get for Ibanyan, that’ll give them something to chat about. Surely footage of Hajime shopping silently by himself is going to be boring. Hajime turns the display, looking through rainbow hair clips, fluffy pom pom earrings, chunky colorful rings. Nothing seems to fit Ibanyan at all. But then, Hajime stumbles upon a set of keychains. Two fluffy white cat heads. One is smiling, and the other is frowning, but they both have pink cheeks. They’re attached to the same packaging, like they’re supposed to be together. 

“Couple keychains?” He says to himself. If he got this, then he could give one to Ibanyan, and they’d match. They only people he had ever matched with were Ra*bits, and his siblings when they were all little. He never even had matching items like this with Tomoya-kun or Akehoshi-senpai. But the idea of sharing these with Ibanyan is making him weirdly excited. Not like he expected Ibanyan to use his, but Hajime still wants to give it to him. Plus, it’d be a fun thing for the show, right? Getting couple keychains on a date. Yeah, it’ll be good. Hajime nods to himself and looks up from the package in his hands, finding Ibanyan and gesturing him over. 

Ibanyan seems to perk up a little bit. Maybe he was feeling left out? Hajime wonders. Hajime pushes the package of keychains towards Ibanyan. “I think… I want these.”

Ibanyan takes the package and turns it around, examining it. He raises an eyebrow. “Just these, that’s it?” Hajime nods. Ibanyan almost smiles. “You truly are different, Jimenyan.” 

“Huh?” Hajime tilts his head quizzically, but Ibanyan doesn’t elaborate and takes the package to the register, handing the cashier his card. He returns to Hajime, handing him the package as they both start to exit the store. Ibanyan seems ready to head deeper into Harajuku, but Hajime stops on the sidewalk. He starts to peel open the plastic packaging, pulling out the keychains, still attached to a heavy card. Ibanyan stops and looks back at him.

“What are you doing?” Ibanyan asks.  
  
Hajime undones the twist ties holding the keychains to the card. He didn’t expect Ibanyan to question him, he was just hoping he could take them out and give Ibanyan his quietly. “Um, Ibanyan, actually… I wanted these so we could share them. See-?” Hajime holds the now-freed keychains in each of his hands. He brings the smiling cat up beside his cheek. “This one’s like me,” Then he brings the frowning one up as well, “And this one’s like you.” He brings them both down, face warm. He straps the frowning one to the purse he was given for the date, then takes Ibanyan’s hand and presses the smiling one into it. “I want you to have this one. A Jimenyan to make you happy, nya~!” Hajime smiles. Ibanyan looks down at his hand, confused and shocked, like Hajime just burned it. Something drops in the pit of Hajime’s stomach. God, he hates it, doesn’t he? It was such a silly thing to think of doing. That keychain is just a piece of junk, of course Ibanyan wouldn’t want it. 

But, for a split second, Ibanyan’s face softens. Hajime wonders if he’s forgotten they’re filming, but that’s ridiculous, Ibanyan would never forget that. Ibanyan takes the smiling fluffy cat head and fastens the keychain around one of his belt loops. “How gracious of you, Jimenyan. Shall we continue?” Ibanyan offers his arm to Hajime, and Hajime’s eyes widen. He wraps his arms around Ibanyan’s, heart feeling lighter. “Mhm!” He hums, and they’re off. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second half of Ibanyan and Jimenyan's Bogie Time Punishment Date! Hajime feels happy when Ibanyan starts to open up a little, and learns a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the exciting conclusion of Ibanyan and Jimenyan's date! this is the longest fic i've ever written and almost 13,000 words of pure fluff...  
> thanks again to my gf for letting me send this to her every time i wrote a new part haha  
> and thank you very much for reading!! comments and kudos always appreciated ;o;

They take Ibanyan’s car again to get to Akihabara. This is another place Hajime hasn’t been very much. Ibanyan explained on the way over that the production crew already arranged to film at a certain arcade, so there won’t be as much wandering for them this time. Hajime is thankful for that, since he’s sure he’d get lost. 

Ibanyan’s chauffeur drops them in front of the shooting location, where the crew is already set up. This arcade is a bit more crowded than Lili’s, so Hajime stays close to Ibanyan as they approach the entrance.  
  
“1531, and here we are.” Ibanyan begins. “This is the second largest arcade in Akihabara, with over 450 machines.” He looks over at Hajime. “Where should we start, Jimenyan?” 

Hajime looks at Ibanyan nervously. In Harajuku, the fact they were dressed like girls wasn’t so pressing, but here, he was feeling really out of place. Although Ibanyan was more concerned about their outfits when they began, he was proceeding with the date with the utmost professionalism. If Ibanyan isn’t bothered, then Hajime should be fine. Yeah. Hajime is used to people thinking he’s a girl, so today he just has to embrace it a bit more than usual. Hajime glances into the arcade. Rows and rows of crane machines line the floor and walls.  
  
“Let’s go inside, first. I, uh, don’t know what I’ll want to do until I see it,” Hajime laughs. Ibanyan smiles and nods, heading in with Hajime. They scan the rows of machines. There are anime figurines, collectors items, plushies, and snacks. Just about anything you’d want. But as they look, Hajime notices again that Ibanyan doesn’t seem very interested. He lets Hajime direct him around on his arm, and his eyes look over the machines quickly, like he can determine his interest or noninterest in a matter of seconds. It’s like he doesn’t _have_ anything he wants, and is just going along with whatever Hajme decides. Hajime frowns. Right now, he’s not sure how to ask about that. He doesn’t want to force Ibanyan to be interested. Hajime’s worried about him, but he knows Ibanyan probably wouldn’t talk about it during shooting. Maybe he’s just thinking too hard about it. 

Hajime lets out a soft sigh as they turn another row of machines. These ones are full of big, soft-looking plushies, like the ones at Lili’s Hajime was admiring. He stops in front of one, full of many round plushies with little smiley faces- small mouths and tiny, far apart eyes. Hajime lets go of Ibanyan’s arm, approaching the machine.  
  
“This one?” Ibanyan asks, coming up from behind Hajime and starting to pull out his wallet. Behind the camera, one of the staff puts their hand up, and brings forward the jar of popsicle sticks.  
  
“Oh, Ibanyan… It looks like they’ll only let you get away with paying yourself once,” Hajime says, chuckling nervously. He’s the one who’s going to play, so he can only wonder what on earth they’ll make him do.  
  
Ibanyan huffs out a sigh, folding his wallet closed and shoving it back into his pocket. He lowers his hand into the jar, pulling out a stick and reading it off. “Jimenyan has to blow the camera a kiss.” 

Hajime sighs in relief. That’s not too bad. He turns to the camera and smiles. “Ready?” He asks. He brings the tips of his fingers to his lips, then waving his hand up in a quick flick, eye squeezing shut as he blows a kiss. “Mwah!” He giggles breathily afterwards, clutching his hands behind his back. “Was that good?” He asks, and is answered with a bag full of 100 yen coins. “Thank you!” He says, coins jingling as he turns back to the machine. He takes one, and feeds it into the slot, and starts to move the crane. He positions it over one of the plushies- a little brown puppy- so that each prong of the claw could conceivably clutch around the plush. He confidently presses the button, and the claw descends, grabbing around the dog for a second before the prongs slide right up off the plush. Hajime frowns.  
  
He pulls out another coin, putting it into the slot. He aims the claw over the dog again, presses the button, watches the claw grab onto its ear, drag it forward, and release. He sighs. “I’ll try a different one, I guess.” He glances nervously back at Ibanyan, who is staring intently at the machine, resting his chin between his thumb and forefinger. Hajime feels even more nervous with Ibanyan watching so intently. He fumbles another coin into the slot, moving the claw over a plush unicorn and pressing the button again. The claw goes down, misses, ascends. Hajime frowns, moving back from the machine. “Guess this one just isn’t meant to be, huh?” 

Ibanyan steps forward all of a sudden, shaking his head. He approaches the machine, tilting his head as he examines the machine from the side. Ibanyan sticks a hand out. “Jimenyan. Coin, please.”  
  
“Ah, yes!” Hajime scrambles to hand Ibanyan a coin, pressing it into his palm. Ibanyan slips the coin into the slot. He moves the claw towards the prize slot. The head of a plush penguin just crosses the threshold of the drop. He drops the claw just over the body of the penguin. The plush gets half-caught, and Ibanyan drags the claw forward slightly. The penguin moves, head pushed farther over the drop. Time runs out and the claw releases. Hajime watches in awe. He thought the claw would just pick a plush up. He had never thought to use it to nudge that penguin over the edge.

Ibanyan holds his hand out again, and Hajime hands him another coin. Ibanyan puts the coin in, moves the claw to the same spot, presses the button. The claw sinks around the penguin, Ibanyan moves it forward, and the plush drops down into the prize slot. Hajime gasps in surprise. 

“Ibanyan! You did it! How…” Hajime looks on with wide eyes as Ibanyan crouches down and retrieves the plush. Ibanyan turns around, and Hajime finds the penguin shoved into his hands. 

“It was simple enough, after I had observed your technique and the strength of the claw. You kept aiming for ones in the middle, Jimenyan.” Ibanyan chides. 

“Wait, is this… for me?” Hajime asks.  
  
Ibanyan raises an eyebrow. “Of course it’s for you. I have no need for toys.”  
  
Hajime looks down at the penguin, petting its soft material. Ibanyan got this plush for him, without Hajime having to even say he wanted it. Hajime gives it a squeeze, pressing it up against his beating heart. “Thank you, Ibanyan. You’re really kind… and cool. You’re really cool, Ibanyan!” Hajime says this a little too loudly, face warm. Hajime can’t help but feel like this is almost a real date, since Ibanyan let him share his crepe, and they got couple keychains, and Ibanyan won a plush for him. It’s just for the show, but Hajime can’t believe how happy he is. 

“Cool?” Ibanyan looks a bit taken aback. “Well, I am cold-blooded, ahaha!” He masks it with another grin. 

Hajime nods. “I bet you’d be a really cool boyfriend! Whoever gets to date you is… really lucky!” Hajime smiles, but he feels a bit strange. It’s hard to imagine Ibanyan dating anybody, but… Hajime also doesn’t really want to. He’s not sure why, it’s really bizarre.  
  
“Well, for today, that’s you, Jimenyan! Ahaha!” Ibanyan laughs again. His eyes narrow into crescents as he laughs, but his gaze is softer than usual and Hajime feels warm. It’s him. Today, Hajime gets to date Ibanyan. Hajime feels like he might be getting carried away, but that fact Ibanyan said something like that makes his heart ache. He presses the penguin plush tighter against his chest. He takes a deep breath and turns towards the camera. 

“Ah, so, Ibanyan got me this plushie from the crane game! But there’s another machine I was told to keep an eye out for, so let’s move to the second floor!”  
  
“Another machine?” Ibanyan asks, then salutes accordingly. “As you wish, Jimenyan~!” 

Hajime refrains from taking Ibanyan’s arm this time, keeping hold of the penguin. Ibanyan doesn’t seem to mind. They take the elevator to the next floor, with more of the classic, fighting-style games. Hajime carefully walks through the aisles, craning his neck as he searches for it. 

“Ah, there it is!” He says, approaching a machine. Its case is a vibrant green, and the demo characters on the screen look awfully familiar. He points excitedly at the screen, “Look, Ibanyan, it’s Eve!” And as Hajime says, a bouncing pixelated character resembling Tomoe Hiyori smiles and winks before bring his sword down upon Sazanami Jun. The Jun falls to the ground, and Hajime looks back at Ibanyan, who is hiding a smile behind his hand. Hajime grins a bit wider and sits down at one of the stools in front of the ‘Player One’ joysticks. “Let’s play together, Ibanyan!”

Hajime expects Ibanyan to protest, but the other boy steps forward and takes his place on the ‘Player Two’ stool. 

“Do you play games often, Ibanyan?” Hajime asks, looking over at the other. 

“Mm, not particularly. As an idol and entrepreneur, I lead a busy life! However, I will make an exception for this game. As I am a playable character, it would be inappropriate of me not to.” He grins over at the camera. 

“You’re a playable character, too?” Hajime asks. He had no idea. Hajime knew Eden had done a song for the soundtrack, and that Eve were characters you could use. But he hadn’t seen either member of Adam on the screen before. 

“His Excellency and I are unlockable characters.” On the player select screen, Ibanyan punches out a combination, and two additional characters pop up onto the screen. Ibanyan grins, scrolling over to himself, and locking his selection in.  
  
“Oh, wow!” Hajime exclaims as he watches. “I don’t play much, but sometimes I come and watch other people play…” He scrolls over to the usual main character of the game, a rather plain and short brown-haired knight with a bit of spunk. He locks in his choice, and the first round starts. Hajime looks down at the buttons. ‘A’ strikes, ‘B’ blocks. That much he knows, so it’ll be fine, right? Hajime has his character charge towards Ibanyan’s, but he’s blocked completely. Ibanyan’s character jumps up and strikes down on Hajime’s, hitting over and over again, rendering Hajime’s character useless. Hajime can only sit helplessly as the health meter at the top of his side of the screen gets smaller and smaller. ‘K.O.!’ flashes on the screen, and Hajime looks over at Ibanyan, mouth agape. Ibanyan’s eyes are narrowed, focused on the screen. The second round starts, and a little icon of crossed swords shows up under Ibanyan’s health bar, indicating he has one win. 

The tip of Hajime’s tongue sticks out of his mouth as he concentrates, doing his best to try to block Ibanyan’s moves this time. He survives a bit longer this time, but ultimately Ibanyan traps him again, and his character is knocked out. ‘Player Two Wins!’ flashes across the screen, and the soundtrack Eden recorded starts to play out of the tinny machine speakers. Ibara’s character makes his signature salute. Ibanyan leans back from the machine, shoulders relaxing. “Good game, Jimenyan. However, you gave me quite too many openings.” He grins.

Hajime is still just bewildered. What a whirlwind. “I thought you said you didn’t play games often, Ibanyan?”

Ibanyan nods. “That is correct. But it would be shameful if I was not adept at a game I feature in, wouldn’t it?” 

“Ah, yeah, I suppose.” Hajime says. He is very rarely scared of Ibanyan, but even how he plays video games is pretty ruthless. Hajime’s stomach flutters a bit when he realizes he finds that kind of endearing. Not the ruthlessness, really, but how serious Ibanyan can get about small parts of his work that lesser idols would ignore. 

“Another round, Jimenyan?” Ibanyan asks.

Hajime shakes his head and laughs. “Sorry, Ibanyan. I don’t like giving up so soon, but I have a feeling I’ll lose again.” Hajime hops off the stool. He had kept his penguin securely on his lap while he played, and he holds it close again. Ibanyan stands up, holding his arm out. Hajime looks at it, surprised again. Ibanyan looks at him expectantly. When this date had begun, Ibanyan had been so stiff when Hajime hung onto his arm. But now that Hajime has something else to hang onto, Ibanyan seems to want him back. Is it just for the cameras? Hajime doesn’t know. This is getting so confusing. But he latches onto Ibanyan, tucking the penguin under his free arm. They step into the elevator and return to the first floor, exiting the arcade and stopping on the sidewalk once again. Ibanyan brings his wrist up to look at his watch. 

“It is approximately 1630. Shall we walk to our dinner reservation, Jimenyan? Let’s have a chat about our date so far.” 

Hajime nods, stepping in time with Ibanyan. “Do you… know where we’re going, Ibanyan?” 

Ibanyan nods, “The restaurant the production staff booked is not far from here. I calculated the time it takes for us to walk there would be a good opportunity to take note of how this punishment has gone.” 

“Ah, right…” The only times Hajime remembers that this is supposed to be a punishment game is when the production staff bring out the fanservice jar. “I mean, I’ve been having a good time…” Hajime says. “Thanks to you, I got to have a tasty crepe, and we made that wish…”

Ibanyan hums in response. “I am glad you are enjoying it! As the perpetrator of our loss, I took it upon myself to ensure today would not be painful for you.”

Hajime frowns. Painful? So was Ibanyan just playing along so Hajime could have fun? That’s not what Hajime wants at all, and after going shopping and playing in the arcade, Hajime thought Ibanyan was finally letting himself relax. Was he wrong? “Thank you, Ibanyan. But… does that mean it’s painful for  _ you?” _

Ibanyan shakes his head. “Not at all, Jimenyan! While I can admit that I am not a fan of sweets, and my opinion of wishes is an unpopular one, our walk in the park was pleasant.” 

Hajime sighs, “Okay, good. Then, what about our shopping trip?” Hajime asks, moving the topic along. This was probably meant for a pre-climactic recap, so he should keep it going. “Again, only I bought something…” Hajime looks down at his fluffy cat dangling from his purse. He really can’t forget to take it off after the shooting ends so he doesn’t accidentally lose it when he gives his accessories to the staff. “And it was with your money, too.”

“Yes, but I offered! Please do not feel bad, Ibanyan!” Ibanyan smiles his tight smile again. Hajime desperately wishes the cameras would disappear. He wants to hear Ibanyan’s true feelings, to be someone he can trust. This whole experience is both phenomenal and terrifying. Hajime gets to do all sorts of fun things with Ibanyan, but he still isn’t sure what’s real or not. He probably won’t until the shooting ends, but Hajime isn’t sure if he should just forget about it. He’s not sure he _can._ But suddenly, Ibanyan’s eyes soften slightly as looks down at the keychain hanging from his belt loop. “And your purchase benefitted me, as well!”  
  
Hajime’s heart thuds in his chest. Even though Hajime gets confused over how Ibanyan really feels, he is still convinced Ibanyan is a kind person. “I’m glad!” Hajime says, face warm. He squeezes Ibanyan’s arm a bit tighter. “I am also really grateful you managed to get this penguin for me!” He waves the plush in front of them and laughs. “And we got to play the game Eden features in, too!” Hajime smiles up at Ibanyan. Hajime knows he shouldn’t forget about all his insecurities and his worries, but he wants to spend the rest of this date without doubting Ibanyan so much. “I’ve been having so much fun, Ibanyan, I forget that this is a punishment! Until people start looking at us, and I remember I’m wearing a dress…” Hajime chuckles nervously. 

“That brings up an excellent point, Jimenyan. We have yet to discuss our feelings on the wardrobe provided for us today.” At least, they haven’t on camera, Hajime thinks, since Ibanyan complained about it the minute Hajime had approached him at the first shooting location. “What is your evaluation of your outfit?”  
  
Hajime stops walking for a second so the crew can get a shot of his outfit as he talks about it. “Hm, well… I think this sweater is very soft! I was wearing a short sleeve shirt beforehand, and Ibanyan was scolding me~!” Hajime grins, “So he must be very glad I’m warm now!” 

Ibanyan is looking at Hajime with a hand on his hip. Hajime giggles to himself. “And this lavender color is my favorite, so I was really happy about that.” He brings a hand up to tug at his bangs. “I think my hair clips are cute, too! The only thing…” Hajime pulls at the hem of his dress, looking down. “Is that I’m… not used to wearing long socks, or… showing my thighs at all, really. I think I’ll be very thankful when I’m wearing pants, again!” Hajime steps back a bit and turns to Ibanyan. “Now it’s your turn, Ibanyan!”

Ibanyan crosses his arms, but stands in front of the camera confidently. “I will first address the fact that I was provided with contacts for this filming, therefore I can see perfectly fine, for any viewers who were curious.” He brings a hand up to his shoulder, tracing his fingers over his hair extensions. “I was also fitted with these extensions. If I had not been given these, my natural hair might’ve been styled like Jimenyan’s pigtails.” Hajime notices Ibanyan’s lip curl up a bit and he giggles. “I’ve also been given gaudier jewelry than I usually wear, and high-waisted pants, as you can see. Not abhorrently feminine.” He gives a nod. 

“It’s pretty!” Hajime chimes in, clapping his hands together lightly, penguin plush still squeezed under his arm. “Good job, Ibanyan!” Ibanyan rolls his eyes at that and Hajime just laughs. 

“Yes, yes. I’d say that concludes our date review and fashion evaluation. And it appears we have finally reached our destination!” Ibanyan says.  
  
The location they’ve stopped in front of appears to be a Sanrio character café! Two large cut outs greet them at the entrance: Hello Kitty and Kuromi, both wearing witch hats and black dresses. There are jack-o-lanterns and bat decorations in the windows, and smaller images of other characters, like Pompom Purin, My Melody, and Cinnamoroll in top hats and spooky black suit. Hajime’s eyes light up. “Is this really where we’re eating?” After going to Lili’s and playing with the crane machines, this is the third extra-cute thing they’ve done today. Hajime wonders if the staff actively created a schedule that suited him so much more than Ibanyan. Is that part of the punishment? Hajime isn’t sure. It wouldn’t be fair if they punished Ibanyan more than Hajime- they’re a team. But he supposes the fanservice challenges have hit him harder than Ibanyan, so maybe it balances it out.

Ibanyan nods in response to Hajime’s question. “The permanent location is in Ikebukuro, however they are operating at this pop-up location for the Halloween season. As it is only open for a limited time, the staff reserved us a table.”  
  
Hajime ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ animatedly at the decor as they step inside. They are led by the hostess to a table towards the back of the café. Hajime sits down at the table across from Ibanyan, while the production staff are seated a couple tables away. They are each handed a menu, before the hostess bows politely and heads back to her post. Hajime looks over the menu. It looks like aside from Kitty, Kuromi is the star at this location. Everything is at least 500 yen, which isn’t the worst for a character café, but Hajime knows it’ll add up. He looks up nervously at the camera, then over at Ibanyan. It seems he’s still looking at the menu. Hajime doesn’t think he’s into any cute characters, so it’s hard for him to imagine what Ibanyan would order. 

The staff behind the camera seem to notice his wariness, and urge him to order whatever he likes. Hajime takes a breath and nods. “Um, Ibanyan… Do you know what you want, yet?” Ibanyan glances up from his menu, then places it down. 

“I have. And you, Jimenyan?”  
  
Hajime shakes his head. “What are you thinking about?” He asks, “I can’t decide…”

“I was eyeing the… Kuromi Ikasumi Spaghetti.” Ibanyan reads out the menu item slowly and clearly, no signs of embarrassment on his face. Hajime looks back down at his menu, finding the dish. A special at this location, the pasta is black and garnished with tomato sauce arranged to look like Kuromi’s face. 

Hajime smiles. “Oh, that seems like something you’d like, I think!” Ibanyan gives him a nod. “There’s a strawberry taro milk tea I know I want,” Hajime begins. It’s topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and two special sugar decorations, one of My Melody and one of Kuromi. “But for my actual food… I’m between the Purin Buns or the Halloween Special Curry…” 

Ibanyan hums. “As the Halloween theme is only for a limited time, I feel like it’s just the most sensible to go with that one.” 

“Right…” Hajime nods. “I can come back for the Purin Buns another time, if I want to.” The waitress appears and takes their orders. Hajime sits in content silence, glancing around at the decorations. Festive decals line the walls, and back by the entrance there was a little rack of merch for sale. Hajime thinks he’ll have to make sure he and Ibanyan take a picture here before they go. Ibanyan is equally quiet, until they both notice the production staff holding another jar out for them. This one is labeled ‘Dinner Lotto~!’ and Hajime quickly takes it from the staff and puts it on the table. “What’s this?” He asks.

“It appears we’re not getting our dinner for free.” Ibanyan remarks, looking over at the camera. “It’s a special edition of the fanservice jar.” 

“A special edition?” Hajime laughs. He looks over at the staff. “Should I take one?” They nod. “Ibanyan, too?” The staff nod more vigorously. Hajime giggles and takes a stick from the jar. Without looking at it, he pushes it closer to Ibanyan. Ibanyan sighs and puts his hand in the jar. “Let’s look at them at the same time, Ibanyan!” Hajime says. He turns his stick over, face flushing. The staff must have been pulling out all stops for these ones. “Do… Do you wanna go first, Ibanyan?” Hajime asks. 

Ibanyan raises an eyebrow. “Sure. According to this, once we receive our meals, I have to feed Jimenyan at least three bites.” 

Hajime lets out a weak noise of distress. “That one’s more embarrassing for me, isn’t it?” Hajime pouts a bit. “Mine… says I have to sit on Ibanyan’s lap for the rest of the meal…” Hajime looks down at his hands in his lap. 

“This works out. If you have to… sit on my lap, it would be impossible for you to eat unless you were fed, correct?” Ibanyan says this like it’s completely logical. Hajime’s sure he must be screaming inside, though. 

Hajime nods. “I’m sorry, Ibanyan. It looks like you’ll have to do more than your share of your punishment…” 

“We are a team today, aren’t we Jimenyan?” Ibanyan says, “Are you coming?” 

Hajime perks up a bit, “Are you sure?” Hajime hops off his chair, placing his penguin down on it, like it’s eating with them. He steps nervously around the table, and Ibanyan scoots his chair back. Ibanyan doesn’t say anything, but looks at him expectantly, and Hajime nods, awkwardly placing his hands on Ibanyan’s thighs and pushing himself up onto his lap. Like this, Hajime’s head is a bit higher than Ibanyan’s, and it’s kind of funny. But Hajime’s face feels so hot. “I’m not too heavy, am I?” Hajime asks. 

“Only a bit.” Ibanyan grunts, and Hajime nods solemnly. Hajime twiddles his thumbs, trying to look anywhere but at Ibanyan, which is hard, because his face is  _ right there.  _ He’s thankfully saved from too much awkwardness when the waitress returns with his drink to start. She places it on the table and Hajime thanks her a bit too profusely. He reaches his hands out to pick it up, but can’t quite reach. Ibanyan hands it to him. 

“Ah, thank you.” He says, and he holds the drink in both hands, taking a sip from the straw. “Mm!” He exclaims, eyes widening. “This is actually really good! But Ibanyan wouldn’t like it~!” Hajime laughs.  
  
“Likely for the best,” Ibanyan says, smiling slightly. Hajime definitely feels a bit better now, happily sipping his drink until the waitress comes back with their meals. Hajime thanks her once again, and hands his drink back to Ibanyan, who sets it back on the table. The set up on the table is a little funny, since it looks like Ibanyan has two plates just for him. 

“Ah, these are so cute…” Hajime says, shuffling his purse around so he can get his phone out. He lifts it up above the table and snaps a picture. He looks over the pictures and nods, happy with them, before putting his phone away. “You should eat first, Ibanyan. My drink made me a little full already.” 

Ibanyan picks up his fork and twirls some of the pasta around it, seemingly not caring about ruining the image made out of sauce. He has a few bites before putting his utensil down and picking up a spoon. He hovers it above Hajime’s curry. This is another Kuromi themed dish, and the rice makes up her face while the rest of the curry surrounding it has been dyed purple. It’s garnished with slices of carrot carved to look like jack-o-lanterns. Ibanyan looks over at Hajime. “Ready?”  
  
Hajime doesn’t realize he’s kind of been holding his breath. He’s glad Ibanyan doesn’t worry about the cuteness, because he would struggle a lot more if he had to mix the curry and rice himself. He nods, and winces slightly as Ibanyan digs into poor Kuromi’s face. Ibanyan holds the spoon up, and Hajime opens his mouth, heart pounding more than usual. Ibanyan puts the spoon in his mouth and Hajime closes his lips around it, letting Ibanyan remove the spoon before he chews and swallows. 

“Mm, it’s not bad,” Hajime says, although he thinks he’s made better curry at home. If he said that on camera, though, that wouldn’t be very good publicity. “What did you think of yours, Ibanyan?” 

“It’s spaghetti.” That’s all Ibanyan says, and Hajime feels a laugh bubble up in his chest.

“Spaghetti?” Hajime almost wheezes. “That’s it?” 

“You didn’t say very much about yours, either, Jimenyan.” He picks up Hajime drink and hands it to him. “Have more of this before you start choking.” 

Hajime is still shaking with laughter a bit as he takes the drink, having a few more sips. He takes a second to breathe, but before he knows it, Ibanyan is holding a spoonful of curry for him again. Hajime holds his drink a bit lower and leans forward. “Ah~” He says, and Ibanyan hesitates a moment before shoving the spoon in his mouth. Hajime takes this bite, laughing again when he’s done. “That was mean, Ibanyan!” 

Ibanyan switches to his fork, gathering more pasta on it. “This time, I hope  _ I  _ choke,” he says under his breath. Hajime nearly spits out his next sip of his drink. 

“I do hope you’re not serious, Ibanyan…” Hajime says, watching Ibanyan finish chewing. 

“Of course not.” He holds up another bite for Hajime. “But let’s not fool around much longer, lest both of us pass out.” Hajime nods, grinning widely. Ibanyan makes quick work of both of their meals after that, and when the waitress returns to take their plates she asks about dessert. Hajime contemplates a moment. 

“Would you share it with me, Ibanyan? I don’t think I could eat a whole one, after both my drink and curry…”

“I suppose I could stomach half.” Ibanyan says, and Hajime excitedly orders a Pompom Purin Parfait, which is a cute layering of pudding and cream. When the waitress returns with the dish, Ibanyan is about to put his spoon in it to feed Hajime again, but Hajime holds his hands out for it. Ibanyan hands it to him with the spoon. 

Hajime smiles and scoops some of the parfait out, holding it towards Ibanyan. “Now you say, ‘ah~’!” Hajime says. Ibanyan stares at him blankly. “Just this one bite!” Hajime pleads.  
  
“Ah.” Ibanyan says, opening his mouth. Hajime cheers as he puts the spoon in Ibanyan’s mouth. It seems after a whole day of this, Ibanyan is worn down. Thankfully, it won’t be much longer. Hajime thinks this, but then gets a little sad. He shoves the spoon back into the parfait, and starts eating the rest himself. It’s sweet and creamy, with some bitter chocolate to balance it out. He finishes it off, handing it to Ibanyan, who puts the empty cup on the table. 

“Ugh, I’m too full!” Hajime says, looking down at Ibanyan. “How are you?” 

“I think my legs are going numb~” Ibanyan says cheerily. Hajime looks down, having nearly forgotten where he is. 

“Ah, that’s right!” He looks over at the staff. “Is it okay?” He asks, and he receives more nods in response. “Hold on, Ibanyan!” Hajime braces himself by placing his hands on Ibanyan’s shoulders, then lowers his feet onto the ground. Hajime returns to his chair, picking his penguin up and putting it on his lap. When he sits down, the plastic is cold on his thighs. 

The waitress comes out with the bill, which the production staff pay, and he and Ibanyan are urged towards the front of the café. “Ah, but I wanted to take pictures…” Hajime says, and the hostess brings to his attention a photo booth tucked in a corner by the entrance. It’s not exactly what he was thinking by ‘pictures’, but Hajime realizes this is another perfect date thing they had yet to experience! Surely the producers wouldn’t mind. Hajime turns behind him, grabbing Ibanyan’s arm. He tugs on his sleeve. “There’s a purikura machine here, Ibanyan… Since our date is almost over, I wanted to take some photos as a souvenir. What do you think?” Hajime asks. 

“Hm? Aren’t machines like this a bit outdated?” Ibanyan says, “We could do the same thing with phone camera filter apps.”  
  
Hajime hadn’t thought about that, but… “Well, with those you can’t print the pictures out, right?” Hajime says, “And this is the limited Sanrio Halloween one, so we’ll always have a special memory of our date…” Hajime’s chest tightens up a bit when he says that. He doesn’t know when this became so important to him. But he’s thought all day, that even if it’s just a game, he really is glad he gets to have fun with Ibanyan. He tugs Ibanyan a bit closer, and the other boy sighs.  
  
“Fine,” Ibanyan agrees. Hajime almost wants to say something like, ‘maybe this will lead to a promotion with a purikura company!’ to sweeten it up, but Ibanyan has probably already thought of that. And in any case, Hajime is getting what he wants. One of the staff hands Ibanyan a small self-cam, so they can at least get some footage, and the two of them squeeze into the booth. 

Hajime quickly picks out a layout for their sticker printout, and the timer starts counting down. “Ah, it’s gonna take four pictures, Ibanyan! Get ready!” Hajime glances up at Ibanyan quickly before he gives his best smile. The camera clicks, and then he switches, giving the camera a v-sign. He winks and sticks his tongue out for the third, and then for the fourth, he turns his head slightly, trying to make a kissy face. While he’s holding it for three seconds, he realizes it’s really embarrassing. He takes a deep breath when it’s over, and their photos are shown on the screen for them to play with and add stickers. Looking over them, he finds Ibanyan did smile for the first one, and in the second he gave his usual salute. In the third, he’s rolling his eyes. But in the fourth, he’s looking at Hajime. He didn’t match the pose or anything, but he’s looking at Hajime, and his eyes are softer than normal, and Hajime doesn’t know what to do. 

“Um, uh. I’ll put the stickers on it, Ibanyan!” Hajime says, scrolling through the selections quickly before they run out of time. On the first three, he puts some characters in the blank space around them, and on the fourth, he sprinkles some hearts. The timer runs out, and the machine starts to print. “Phew, there we go!” Hajime says, trying his best to just act normal, even though his ears are burning. Once the photos are dispensed, he hands one copy to Ibanyan. “See, wasn’t that fun?” He slides out of the booth before Ibanyan can respond. Ibanyan steps out the other side and turns the self-cam off. The crew are waiting for them, ready to wrap up shooting. Hajime shoves his photo strip into his purse and follows them out of the café, and they resume shooting in front of the location. The sun has started to go down, and the air is helping cool Hajime off. 

Ibanyan clears his throat. “Well, Jimenyan. We have survived.”  
  
Hajime jumps a bit. “Ah, yes! We’ve made it to the end of our date. I… I think you succeeded in being cute today, Ibanyan! Congratulations!” 

Ibanyan nods. “Thank you for teaching me, Jimenyan. Now I don’t have to ever be cute again.” 

Hajime laughs, hearing that. “Aw, but I think you can be cute without even trying! Sometimes.” Hajime squeezes his penguin against his chest. “But this means we’ve completed our punishment and Ra*bits x Eden Bogie Time shooting is over.” Hajime pouts a bit. He turns to the camera and bows. “Thank you all for supporting us, and thank you for watching!” Ibanyan bows with him, smiling tightly and waving. 

The cameras shut off for the last time, and the stylists quickly rush over to start removing their makeup. Hajime is ushered into the café restroom to change. Before giving back the purse, Hajime shoved his photo strip and his phone into his pockets, then unclipped the fluffy cat keychain. He clips it to his belt loop, like Ibanyan did. Making sure he doesn’t forget his penguin, either, Hajime leaves the café. On the sidewalk, Ibanyan is still in his ‘crossdressing’ outfit, although the hair extensions have been removed and he’s wearing his glasses. The crew is climbing into their van, and it’s now when Hajime realizes he’s not sure how he’s going to get back to the dorms.

“Are you coming?” Ibanyan asks, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. 

“Coming… where?” Hajime asks. Ibanyan’s chauffeur steps out of his car, which had pulled up behind the producer’s van. The chauffeur opens the door, and Ibanyan gestures to it. 

“We’re going back to Ensemble Square. But if you’d prefer to walk…” 

Hajime shakes his head, “No, no, I’ll come! Thank you!” Hajime steps into the car, and Ibanyan sits beside him. The chauffeur shuts the door and returns to the driver’s seat, starting the car up and getting back onto the road. 

When Hajime sits back in the seat, it finally hits him how tired he is. He and Ibanyan had been on their date for over six hours. He’s used to long days practicing dancing or vocals, when Ra*bits are by his side and they’re working together. But working as a team with Ibanyan was different. It was fun, but even after a week together, he still found himself struggling to know what Ibanyan was thinking. That’s why, towards the end in the café, when he and Ibanyan were starting to joke around together, Hajime had been really happy. He wants to be able to do that more, to learn about Ibanyan, to go on more dates. Is that weird? Is it strange? Hajime doesn’t want to think so. 

He looks over at Ibanyan, who has been quiet for the ride as well. Oh, it seems like he’s tapping something out on his phone. If Hajime cranes his neck, it looks like numbers. Even now, Ibanyan is working. He must be even more tired than Hajime, since he had an interview before this, too. 

Hajime is startled out of his thoughts when the screen on Ibanyan’s phone changes and it starts ringing. Ibanyan picks it up. 

“Hello? Ah, Bogie Time Producer-san!” He’s got his cheerful voice on again, although Hajime isn’t sure why he had to announce who he was talking to. “There’s no footage from the self-cam? How horrible! I must have forgotten to press the recording button, my mistake.” He says this, but Hajime can see the smirk on his face. Ibanyan has everything planned out, all the time. There’s no way he would make a mistake. But then, he didn’t record with the self-cam on purpose? It was only in the purikura booth, why would he not want footage? “Please edit the purikura footage out, or at least let the viewers leave it to their imagination. Very sorry about this, Producer-san! Thank you very much!” Ibanyan hangs up the phone, then quietly returns to his work. 

“Um, Ibanyan? Did you really forget to film in the purikura booth?” Hajime frowns. “I thought it would be fun for the date, and maybe help us get some kind of promotion deal… I thought you would like that, but if nobody sees it, then there’s not even a chance…” 

Ibanyan nods. “That’s right.” Ibanyan puts his phone in his pocket and crosses his arms. “Nobody will see it. Aside from myself, the only person who knows what happened in that purikura booth is you. Let’s keep it that way.” 

Hajime isn’t sure what to say. He’s not sure what Ibanyan wouldn’t want people to see. The entire day, they had been doing embarrassing things. Making hearts, winking and blowing kisses at the camera, wearing matching keychains, feeding each other- these were all things Ibanyan allowed to be recorded on camera. But then Hajime remembers. He digs his photostrip out of his pocket, and looks down at the last picture. He hadn’t looked long before, too afraid to confirm that what he had seen was correct. Ibanyan was looking at him, and he was smiling. His eyes were soft, like Hajime was something he admired. It was an expression Hajime hadn’t seen from him before, and one Hajime was sure nobody else had seen. This was what Ibanyan was hiding. Realizing this makes Hajime’s chest ache. He holds the photostrip close to his heart and nods. 

Ibanyan smiles, looking pleased. Before long, the car pulls up in front of the dorms. The chauffeur opens the door on Hajime’s side. Before he gets out, Hajime turns to Ibanyan. “Are you… not getting out, too?” He asks.  
  
Ibanyan shakes his head. “I still have some work to take care of before the night is over.”  
  
“I see…” Hajime starts to climb out. He doesn’t want to leave just like this, but he’s not sure what to do. He gets out and stands in front of the open door. Ibanyan ducks his head down and raises an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘what the hell are you doing?’ “Um, Ibanyan…” Hajime takes a deep breath. He squeezes his eyes shut. “Next time, do you… want to go have tea… with me?” 

When Hajime opens his eyes, Ibanyan is smirking at him. He’s holding his hand out. “Phone.” He says. Hajime pulls his phone out of his pocket and hands it over. Ibanyan opens his contacts, taps out a number, and hands it back. “Good night, Jimenyan.”

Hajime takes his phone back, checking the screen. Ibanyan gave him his number? Hajime blinks down at him. Then, Ibanyan does want to see him again? Hajime smiles and nods. “Good night, Ibanyan!” Hajime steps back, letting the chauffeur shut the door. He waves as the car pulls away, although it’s too dark to see Ibanyan’s reaction. Even though he’s about ready to head to bed the minute he gets into his room, there’s a spring in his step as he turns away from the curb and towards the dorm. 


End file.
